Is That My Coat?

BATD ON Oct 07, 2010 AT 9:23 am

Michael Ballard has an immense collection of hijacked coats

Ever wonder where your coat’s gone after a night out? It could end up in the new exhibit Whose Coat is that Jacket You’re Wearing? Michael Ballard, who has been stealing coats and jackets from pubs and clubs for a decade, will be returning them to the public this month. In the exhibition, Ballard will be displaying the hundreds of meticulously catalogued coats for guests to claim back in what he is calling a self-imposed therapeutic process.

He says, “This didn’t start out as an idea for a show, but as time went on I realized what a powerful statement it would be about what can be considered art if I went public with it.” Ballard says he is inspired by artists such as Picasso, Duchamp, Emin and Manzoni, and is using this exhibit to raise a debate over art appropriation and legality.

We might pop by just to see if our missing coat turns up. The exhibit runs from 8 October to 23 October and will be held at Walker’s Tailor. For more information click here.